Plier type tool having a heel member and punch bit for aligning means



May 25, 1965 T. B. JOHNSON 3,184,838

PLIER TYPE TOOL HAVING A HEEL MEMBER AND PUNCH BIT FOR ALIGNING MEANS Filed April 10, 1963 I N VE N TOR.

THO/1445 5. Jay/v50 sly Mfg United States Patent "ice 3.18 %,838 PLIER TYPE T901. HAVING A HEEL MEMEER AND PUNCH BET FUR ALIGNLNG MEANS Thomas B. Johnson, Ambridge, Pa, assignor to H. H.

Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 271,;"dil 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-271) This invention relates to an alignment tool and more particularly to an alignment tool for properly positioning the interlocking male and female lips of adjacent sheets of a wall structure.

The exterior wall structures of many modern buildings comprise a sandwich construction which normally includes, in the order of erection, an inner metal skin, batts of insulation, and a decorative outer metal skin. The inner metal skin of certain exterior wall structures comprises flat sheets of thin gauge metal each of which includes an outwardly extending male lip along one edge and an outwardly extending female lip along the other edge. These sheets are erected in side-by-side relation with the male lip of one sheet inserted into the female lip of the adjacent sheet. The female lip is then clenched or dimple-punched at spaced points along its length to secure the male lip within the female lip.

The fiat metal sheets normally span two or more subgirts and are secured thereto by any suitable means, as for example, by spaced welds. Frequently one of the adjacent metal sheets is bowed along one of the lips, usually the male lip, so that in the region of the bow the lips are not properly aligned with one another. Hence, in the region of the bow, a clench or button-punch would not effectively clamp the male lip within the female lip.

Prior to the present invention, two methods were commonly used by the workmen to properly align the sheets for the clenching of the female lip.

The first of these methods involved two workmen, the first positioned exteriorly of the building and the second positioned in the interior of the building. The second workman would push outwardly on the bowed sheet whereupon the first workman would clench the lips together. This method, however, had a number of drawbacks. It was a normal practice for the second workman to position a ladder adjacent to the bow in the sheets from Which he would do the pushing. This practice resulted in a number of falls and consequently some seriously injured workmen. In the case where the metal sheets of the inner metal skin extend for lengths of twenty or more feet, the cost of interior and exterior scaffolding and time consumed in erecting and dismantling this scaffolding was significant.

The second of these methods found the second workman along with the first on an exterior scaffolding. In this instance, the second workman employed a relatively large suction cup secured to the end of a handle. The second workman would push the suction cup against the bowed sheet to expel the air from the suction cup whereupon he would pull outwardly to align the lips. The first workman would then clench the female lip. This method also proved precarious since occasionally the suction cup would let go while the workman Was pulling.

According to the present invention, an alignment tool is provided having a heel member secured to a stationary jaw and a punch b-it secured to a movable jaw of anadjustable plier-like tool commonly known as a vise-grip. In the present alignment tool, the position of the punch bit may be adjusted with respect to the heel member, i.e., it may be brought closer to or moved away from the heel member.

To align the hereinabove described fiat metal sheets in the region of the bow, the heel member is placed on a Patented May 25, 1965 first of the flat metal sheets so that the heel member is engaged with the flat body portion and the female lip. The position of the punch bit is adjusted so that when the vise grip is closed, the punch bit will penetrate into the surface of the male lip of the adjacent flat metal sheet. By simply pivoting the vise grip about an edge of the heel member which is remote from the jaws, the male lip is brought into proper alignment within the female lip, whereupon the male lip may be clenched or button-punched at points preferably above and below the alignment tool.

It should be noted that the only effort required to align the adjacent flat metal sheets, is a pulling or pushing force which is applied in a direction substantially parallel to the flat sheets. The required effort is minor as a result of the inherent mechanical advantage of the vise-grip tool. Hence, the flat metal sheets may be aligned with an easy, quick and above all safe operation.

Accordingly, the primary objects of the present invention include:

To provide an alignment tool for easily and quickly aligning the male and female lips of adjacent metal sheets;

To provide an alignment tool which is considerably safer in operation than any of the heretofore employed tools or methods; and

To provide an alignment tool which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a pair of adjacent fiat metal sheets wherein one of the sheets is bowed and illustrating one environment wherein the present alignment tool may be employed;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1, illustrating the misalignment of a male and female lip in the region of the bow of the fiat metal sheets of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the alignment tool of the present invention; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views illustrating the sequence of aligning the lips, illustrated in FIG. 2, by means of the present alignment tool.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an inner metal skin It) is shown comprising two adjacent fiat metal sheets 11, 12 which span the distance between two subgirts 14 and which are secured thereto by any suitable means such as welds 16. It should be evident that the flat metal sheets 11, 12 instead could extend across more than two of the subgirts 14.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the flat metal sheets 11, 12 each has a fiat body portion 18 and a male lip 20 and a U-shaped female lip 22 provided along the side edges thereof. The lips 20, 22 extend outwardly from the flat body portion 18 as shown. A bead 24 of sealant material may be provided within the U-shaped female lip 22 to prevent the ingress of moisture and the like into the interior of the building.

It is necessary when erecting the flat metal sheets ll, 12 to clench or button-punch the lips at spaced points along their length. As for example in FIG. 1, the female lip 22 would be clenched, as at 26, at points indicated at A. The clenching of the female lip 22 frictionally locks the male lip 26 within the female lip 22. The female lip 22 would ordinarily be clenched at intermediate points indicated at A. In this case, however, the fiat metal sheet 11 is bowed slightly in its central region indicated at B. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the male lip 20 resides substantially entirely outside of the female lip 22 so that the inner surface 23 of the sheet 11 is displaced from the inner surface 30 of the sheet 12 by a distance indicated at 32. Hence, in this region, the clenching of the female lip 22 would not serve to effectively frictionally lock the male lip 20 within the female lip 22.

Referring now to. FIG. 3, the present invention provides an alignment tool 34 which is very useful in aligning the lips 20, 22 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The

present alignment tool 34 is a rnodified form of an adjustable plier-like tool commonly known as a vise-grip.

The alignment tool 34 generally comprises stationaryof the tubular handle 38 and extends into abutment with the second end 54 'of the adjustment lever 48.

The alignment tool 34 is shown here in a closed condition, i.e., the movable jaw means 40 and the working lever 44 are as close to the stationary jaw means 36 and the tubular handle 38 respectively as the adjustment lever 48 will allow. To release the movable jaw means 40, that is move it away from the stationary jaw means 36,

the working lever 44 is pivoted about the pin 45 in a direction away from the tubular handle 38. Conversely, to close the vise grip, the working lever 44 is pivoted about the pin 46 in a direction toward the tubular handle The space between the stationary jaw means 36 and the movable jaw means may be varied by means of the adjustmentscrew 56. For example, should it be desired to increase the space between the jaws 36, 40, the adjustment screw 56 is turned in a screw-out direction which causes the adjustment screw 56 to move longitudinally away from the collar 58. In turn, the adjustment lever 48 will follow the adjustment screw whereupon the movable jaw means 40 will pivot about the pin 42 in a direction away from the stationary jaw means 36. Should it be desired to decrease the space between the jaws 36, 40, the adjustment screw 56 is turned in a screw-in direction which causes the adjustment screw 56 to move lon-1 gitudinally toward the collar 58. The adjustment screw 56 willthen push the adjustment lever 48 toward the movable jaw means 40 whereupon the movable jaw means 49 will pivot about the pin 42 in a direction toward the stationary jaw means 36.

It should be noted that the space between the jaw means 36, 40 may be adjusted when the alignment tool 34 is either in a closed condition or in an open condition. It is important to note, however, that when the alignment tool 34 is in a closed condition, the space between the jaw means 36, 40 remains constant for any setting of the adjustment screw 56 regardless of how tightly the handles 44 and 38 are squeezed.

As hereinbefore stated, the present alignment tool .34 is a modified form of an adjustable plier-liketool commonly known as a vise-grip. The vise-grip has been modified by providing the stationary jaw means 36 with a heel member 60 and the movable jaw means 40 with a punch bit 62.

The heel member 60 preferably comprises a sheet metal member having a web portion 64 and flange members 66, 68, extending from the sides thereof. The web por,

The punch bit 62 is secured to the end of the movable jaw 40 by any suitablemeans such as weld 80. The punch bit 62, preferably formed from tool-quality steel, has a pointed end 82 which extends toward the heel member 60. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the punch bit 62 is disposed above theweb portion 64- of the heel member 60;

The way in which the present alignment tool 34 is employed to align the male and female lips 20, 22 will now be described by reference to FIGS. 3,4 and 5.

The working lever 44 is first released so that the alignment tool 34 may be placed over the male and female lips 20, 22 as shownin FIG; 4. 1 The heel member 60 is positioned so that the web portion 64 and the flange member 66 are engaged with portions of the flat body portion 18 and the female lip 22 respectively of the fiat metal sheet 12. The working leverq44 is then closed.

slightly so as to bring the punch bit within about an eighth inch of the malelip 20; The adjustment screw is then turned so as to engage thepointed end 82 of the punch bit 62with the surface. 84 of the male lip 20. At this point the working lever 34 is closed completely, i.e., moved toward the tubular handle 38. This action will cause the pointed end 82 to penetrate the surface 84.

of the male lip 28 as shown in FIG. 4. Excessive penetration should be avoided.l Insufiicient penetration will permit undesirable slippage and also should go avoided.

With the alignment tool 34 positioned as illustrated in FIG. 4, the workman needs only to pull or push the alignment tool 34 so as to rotate it in a clockwise direction about the arcuate surface or fulcrum 78. When this is done, the male lip-20 will be pulled into the female lip-22 and will be embedded in the head of sealant material 24 as shownin FIG. 5. Notice the inner surfaces 28 and 30 of the flat metal sheets 11 and 12 respectively are now coplanarly aligned. ,The first workman may now olench or button-punch the female lips 22at the points A (see FIG. 1) above and below the alignment tool 34.

It will be noted by comparing FIGS. 4 and 5 that the space between the jaw means 36, .40. remains constant throughout the clockwise motion of the alignment tool 34 about the fulcrum 7 8. As hereinbefore stated, when the alignment tool 34 is in a closed condition, as in FIGS. 4 and 5, the space between the jaw means 36, 40 remains constant regardless of how tightly the handles 44, 38 are squeezed. Consequently, thepush or pull required. to pivot the alignment tool 34 in a clockwise direction may be most conveniently applied directly to the working lever 44.

It is important to note that the direction of pulling or pushing is parallel with the sheets 11 and 12 as indicated by the vector numbered 86. Consequently, the workman isnot subject to the dangers of the previously used methods which required pulling or pushing in a direction normal to the surface of the metal sheets.

It should be understood that the present alignment tool 34 may be easily adapted for use in aligning lips having a width which is different from the width of the lips20 and 22 shown in the drawings. Further, the present alignment tool may also be used to align thelips of facing sheets comprising materials other than metal. Still further, the present alignment tool may also be usedto align the lips of facing sheets other than the fiat sheets illustrated here, as for example, the decorative outer sheets of the hereinabove described exterior wall structure. I

It should be evident fromv the foregoing detailed description that the present invention provides an alignment tool for easily and quickly aligning the male and female lips of adjacent metal sheets, which is considerably safer in operation than any of the heretofore employed tools and methods; and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In alignment apparatus, the combination comprisa plier-like tool having opposed jaw means;

a generally rectangular heel plate secured to the end of one of said jaw means, said heel plate having a face which resides in a plane extending substantially perpendicular to said opposed jaw means;

a fulcrum comprising an edge of said face which is remote [from both of said jaw means and coplanar with said face and about which said tool may be pivoted; and

bite means secured to the end of the other of said jaw means; said bite means extending toward said heel plate and having a pointed end adjacent thereto.

2. In alignment apparatus, the combination comprisa plier-like tool having opposed jaw means which move away from each other when said plier-like tool is opened and which move toward each other when said plier-like tool is closed, said jaw means being spaced apart when said plier-like tool is closed;

a generally L-shaped heel plate comprising a first leg secured to one of said jaw means and including a face which resides in a plane extending substantially perpendicular to said opposed jaw means and a second leg extending inwardly toward said jaw means;

a fulcrum comprising an arcuate edge of said heel plate defined by the junction of said first leg with said second leg and being remote from both of said jaw means and about which said tool may be pivoted; and

bite means secured to the end of the other of said jaw means, said bite means extending toward said heel plate and having a pointed end adjacent thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,257 5/92 Mendelson 29232 2,615,356 10/52 Greco 29-232 X 2,743,873 5/56 Burke.

2,803,320 8/57 Wagner 81-5.1 X

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN ALIGNMENT APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A PLIER-LIKE TOOL HAVING OPPOSED JAW MEANS; A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR HEEL PLATE SECUREED TO THE END OF ONE OF SAID JAW MEANS, SAID HEEL PLATE HAVING A FACE WHICH RESIDES IN A PLANE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID OPPOSED JAW MEANS; A FULCRUM COMPRISING AN EDGE OF SAID FACE WHICH IS REMOTE FROM BOTH OF SAID JAW MEANS AND COPLANAR WITH SAID FACE AND ABOUT WHICH SAID TOOL MAY BE PIVOTED; AND BITE MEANS SECURED TO THE END OF THE OTHER OF SAID JAW MEANS; SAID BITE MEANS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID HEEL PLATE AND HAVING A POINTED END ADJACENT THERETO. 